Oral hygiene is a significant concern to many individuals. It is common practice for many to brush their teeth twice a day, once in the morning and once in the evening. Another important oral hygiene step is dental flossing. While teeth brushing may remove plaque formed on the surface of the teeth, dental floss assists in removing plaque that may form in between adjacent teeth. Regular flossing may greatly decrease the likelihood of certain gum diseases, such as gingivitis and other periodontal disease that may jeopardize the health of the teeth and even cause tooth loss.
Despite its clear benefits to oral health, flossing is not as commonly practiced as regular teeth brushing. Toothpaste and toothbrush sales typically far outweigh the sales figures for dental floss. This may be partly due to the more recent understanding by the general public of the advantages of flossing and the inconvenience of having to purchase another oral hygiene item. Therefore, a combined dental floss and toothpaste item would be beneficial and convenient for users.
There have been previous attempts to combine dental floss with toothpaste for sale as a single product. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,428,389 discloses a floss dispenser adapted to fit onto a tube of toothpaste. Problems arise with respect to hygiene of the floss in such an arrangement. For example, a portion of the dental floss exits the side of the housing and is exposed when not in use. Because toothpaste tubes are typically kept in medicine cabinets, drawers, or on the sink, the exposed floss is likely to be contaminated by dust or other debris.